Slowing down with Reiki Ruawai

Words by Rosa-Lee O´Reilly. Photography by Nick White.

In a world that wants things quickly, specifically in the music world, where the question of ‘So, what next?’ is asked of the artist before they've even taken their next breath...it can be a race against the creative clock. Often, questions of the future are unhelpful. Sometimes, all the artist needs is a moment in the present. 

Parked on a sunlit balcony on the Gold Coast, staring out at the Pacific Ocean, Reiki Ruawai caught up with Yo Vocal. We spoke all about the serendipity that comes with slowing down. 

Choosing to extend his stay across the ditch after playing industry shows like Big Sound and smaller gigs around the Gold Coast and Brisbane, soaking up some Aussie sunshine was much-needed. 

"I was at the airport with the whole band and my parents, and they were like: "Have you checked in?" and I was like: "Nah, haha, I haven't…I think I'm going to stay for an extra week," says Reiki, between laughs. "They were like: that's cool, you've done your mahi, you deserve to chill and have a holiday." 

We both agreed that to be an artist, you must make space for creativity to breathe. Since March this year, following the release of All I Need, the musician has been busy in the studio finishing his latest tracks, In Time and Take it Slow, and finalising his EP, The Message.

But amongst the mahi and madness of life in music, Reiki reminds us that song crafting isn't about speeding up the momentum. "Releasing music takes time," he says, being transparent about his slower approach to writing. "When I write a song, it doesn't see the light of day for maybe six months, which is probably the same for everyone–unless you're like Kanye West. I need time to sit on it to clarify what needs changing," says Reiki. "It doesn't have to be THE best song ever, but it can be the best I can make it be."

While the digital space demands urgency and the music industry moves alongside virality, I like to mention that things of quality have no sense of time. Resisting the tendency to produce fast-paced pieces, "Take it Slow" is an ode to Reiki's practice. 

"The whole song is essentially about being present and making sure you're sitting back and acknowledging what is happening around you," he says as he looks out at the horizon line. "Especially in those moments when you aren't stressed asf and you're not trying to be a busy bee." 

His lyrics, "So / When you get carried away / Stay in the moment don't go / Think it's time to take it / Slow," are potent reminders to stop and take stock. "I think it's a relatable sentence for everyone. You can get carried away with the overload, but then you lose your chance to stop and simmer in the moment," he says. "Like, right now [as we speak], this has been a spontaneous mission to stay. Touring and playing gigs is fun and exciting, but I don't get moments of stillness and time to myself." 

Listening to the track, full of light, easy, breezy tempos, takes you back to having a crush in the summertime–when nothing else matters. Inspired by a Cowboy Malfoy song, Ruawai bounced around with the idea of making something "fluffy and bubbly," a sound totally different from his regular R&B brews. 

Working alongside Dan Martin–a producer that only produced pop–and Sam Nakamura, Reiki knew this song would be confronting right from its conception. "I came into the session knowing that it would be a little bit out of my normal writing style and out of my comfort zone," he says. "I'd never done that kind of buzz before, so taking away my personal judgments on particular genres that I once had and just listening to the production and particular melodies helped me appreciate genres and admire other artists."

With genres being so vast and interchangeable and musicians exploring an entirely new sound with every song they produce, I remind Reiki that you don't need to pigeonhole yourself into one particular genre. Working with different people and producers gives you a new lens into a sonic tapestry. 

Reiki approaches his song-crafting by rolling with the initial flow and quieting the outside noise. "I've learnt not to overcook it but still keep that feeling I felt when I first made it," he says. "You can get thrown into this rabbit hole about being a perfectionist about the song, and it can lose some of its authenticity in the post-production process." 

Riding the wave that feels right for himself by tuning into originality, Reiki takes people's opinions with a grain of salt. "Not doing it just because someone else told me it sounds cool," he says. "At the end of the day, they are my songs. I want to feel 100 per cent confident in myself." 

His six-track EP, The Message, includes three tracks released earlier this year plus three extra tracks. "I'm super excited for these new tracks because they're so different from what I've recently released. There's a little bit of rapping and singing. I can't wait to show people my versatility for singing and writing." 

While balancing life between Tāmaki Makaurau and the Waikato, causing a crossbreed of sounds, the Raglan native recently felt a calling to his home soil. The singer felt it was a no-brainer. "There is a studio there and the beach," he says. 

I ask how living in the city, compared to Raglan, affects his songwriting and whether there is a difference between the two when he is there. "The environment sets the tone rather than the song itself. In Auckland, I'd be eager to smash out shit because I only have a limited amount of time to record. Whereas when I go back home, I have every day to write something. I could spend hours writing and then have a break, then go for a surf, skate, and hang out." 

As a musician, constantly packing up and moving around can be a whirlwind. I ask what resources he leans on (internally and externally) that help him remember to slow down. "Recently, it's been an afternoon skate and chill with my mate Ziggy. The skating is fun, but it's mostly about the sit down at the end–the one-on-one conversation I get to have with my close mate–that hugely grounds me. We have a DMC and talk about our futures," says Reiki. 

"Because, you know, my creative ideas aren't as frequent when I'm on tour, travelling, or working."

As a human with capacities and full cups, Reiki surrenders to creative ideas when they come. Sometimes, most of the magic happens when slowing down or stepping away from the instruments. 

If you were to pick the perfect, uninterrupted space to write a song, where would it be? I ask. "In a big, open-plan house overlooking farmland and the beach," says Reiki. We both reference the 45-minute mesmerising Tame Impala video.  The weather suddenly changes, and it's bucketing down—tropical thunderstorms roll into the background of the conversation.

Without pressuring him about the future, I ask him what he is currently enjoying in this present moment [small, big, or anything in between]. "Well, I'm about to pick up an amp. So I'm excited about setting that up out here on the balcony and having a jam," he says. "I'm also just so happy to be over here. At the start of my solo career, getting to Australia to play music was my biggest goal. That was the ultimate goal–and now I'm here–it's happening." I'm like, 'Oh, there's a little like goal to tick off the bucket list,' and now I'm moving to another goal to tick off, which is releasing this EP. Then, in the summer, I want to write another EP, and then I want to come back to Australia…so yeah, they're small goals, but they're massive ones as well," he says with a smile, soaking it all up. 

I affirm that he should be immensely proud. 

So, this is a reminder to watch the sunset tonight or run yourself a bath. Slow down and listen to Reiki's new EP, The Message, out now. Relish in the moment.